Chapter 175: The Striking Yelena
"Suka blyat!"
Far away in the frozen lands, Dreykov flew into a rage.
To his Surprise, Li Chen was so powerful that even the meticulously trained White Widow, Yelena, had been subdued with utter ease.
Ruthless and cruel, Dreykov's immediate instinct was to detonate the bomb.
To him, these trained Black Widows were nothing more than mere tools.
Once a tool was no longer useful, it was to be discarded—it could never be allowed to harm him.
Yet to his shock, when he pressed the button, there was no response at all; the detonation had clearly failed.
Left with no other choice, Dreykov, fortunate to have a steady demeanor, severed all communication with the outside world immediately.
At this point, he had not yet built the Helicarrier and was still hiding in a base.
"Put Melina under control for me."
Dreykov felt a lingering sense of unease, so he began making arrangements right away.
If Yelena had betrayed him as well, then this base was no longer safe.
"Damn it, who on earth is this guy?"
After assigning the tasks for relocating, Dreykovimmediately began thoroughly investigating information about Li Chen.
Only then did Dreykov learn about things that had long been common knowledge across America.
Of course, this was largely due to media control.
Traditional media in America already held a tight grip on public opinion; the public only knew what they wanted the public to know.
After the Saitama Incident, aside from the initial buzz, media outlets outside North America ceased all discussion, tacitly working to suppress the fallout.
This was why the emergence of TikTok later completely broke the defense of the American media.
If ordinary people could freely post 'controlled' news on the internet, how could they possibly maintain control over world public opinion?
Only after sifting through piles of useless information did Dreykov finally uncover the truth.
"Suka..."
Dreykov fell silent. He had never imagined that so much could happen in America during the brief period he hadn't been paying attention.
There was no helping it—Russia was suffering setbacks on all fronts and had been pulling back into defensive contraction during this time.
Furthermore, the Red Room was busy tightening control over its subordinate Agents.
Dreykov had been overwhelmed with work, which was why he had overlooked it.
Only after reading everything did he realize that he seemed to have provoked an extraordinary entity.
"Hurry and change the base!"
...
"My head hurts so much."
"Who knocked me out?"
Not knowing how much time had passed, Yelena gradually awoke from her deep slumber.
Youth really did come with great physical resilience; she had fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and slept soundly.
Yelena rubbed the back of her neck, then remembered what had happened before.
After being controlled by Dreykov, her consciousness had actually remained intact in a semi-hazy state; she had wanted to break free from his control, but was unable to do so.
However, she had been aware of what she was doing.
Before being knocked unconscious, she had gone to launch a sneak attack on that Chinese man, only to be turned on and defeated...
She sat up abruptly, intending to take action, when she heard someone beside her say, "You just woke up. I suggest you take a moment."
It was a rather cold, aloof female voice.
Yelena knew she had been captured, but after a quick check, she found she wasn't restrained at all.
There wasn't even a single rope binding her. Were they really this careless?
Without hesitation, she lunged toward the woman beside the bed, intending to subdue her.
Yet Rem showed no mercy.
Faster than Yelena, she caught her by the arm with a backhand grip and slammed her back onto the bed.
"Master was right. You really aren't well-behaved."
Yelena slammed heavily onto the bed, bounced once, and was left dazed.
Only then did she get a good look at the young girl.
She looked petite, with blue hair and a maid outfit—clearly looking like someone with no combat capability at all!
Why was her strength even greater than Yelena's?
Yelena found it impossible to accept, questioning her very life choices.
"Where is this?"
She knew she was no match for her; this girl was bizarre.
Rem spoke coldly, "You attacked Master, but Master was generous enough to save you and bring you back."
"Seeing that you were in a deep slumber, he had me stay by your side to look after you."
"Is this how you treat your benefactor?"
Rem's words made Yelena realize what the situation was.
That figure flashed across Yelena's mind.
"Li... Chen?"
"Hmph."
Rem was quite displeased with her. "Once you've rested enough, come out. Master wants to see you."
Watching Rem turn and leave, Yelena breathed a sigh of relief.
First, she checked her own condition.
Her clothes were still on, with only her coat set aside, showing no signs of having been tampered with.
It seemed this little maid had been taking care of her the whole time, and Li Chen hadn't taken advantage of the moment to do anything.
Next, she felt the back of her neck. She knew there was a bomb inside her body, and if Dreykov detonated it, she would be finished.
However, when her fingers touched the area, she found an incision.
"It's already been removed."
Her expression turned complex, and she couldn't help developing some favorable impression of Li Chen.
He was truly thoughtful.
After hesitating for a moment, she put on her coat and chose to step outside.
She had initially hesitated over whether to escape, but Li Chen had saved her, after all.
Since he hadn't harmed her, he wouldn't do anything bad to her.
Yelena soon discovered that this was a massive manor. There were countless rooms on this floor alone, all spaciously laid out, and the Guangxian lighting was also very good.
Arriving on the ground floor, she finally saw Li Chen.
Li Chen was holding an orange-haired beauty in his arms. Taking note of her impressive proportions, Yelena glanced down at her own chest and hurriedly tightened her coat.
"It's May already, practically summer, and this is Los Angeles—aren't you hot wearing so much?"
Seeing Yelena come down, Li Chen smiled.
Though Yelena looked slightly weary at this moment, she was undeniably gorgeous.
Standing around 1.7 meters tall, she possessed platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes, with a taut, athletic build characteristic of a standard Agent physique.
Unaccustomed to Li Chen's warmth, Yelena could only reply coldly, "I'm used to it."
"Have a seat."
Li Chen let go of Nami, who said, "I'm going for a swim."
She planted a quick peck on Li Chen's cheek and scurried off.
Nami loved her current life; it made her feel safe and at ease.
Yelena took a seat across from Li Chen.
Ram soon brought over some tea and Water.
Yelena noticed that she looked almost identical to the blue-haired girl.
"Thirsty?"
"Make yourself at home."
It would have been fine if Li Chen hadn't brought it up, but once he did, Yelena indeed felt parched.
Expressing her thanks, she picked up the teacup.
Moistening her throat, Yelena spoke up, "I didn't intend to assassinate you. I was under mind control."
"I know."
Li Chen nodded. "So I don't blame you. But I will make the person who controlled you pay the price."
These words stirred Yelena's hatred, and she nodded in agreement. "Me too. I won't let him get away with it."
Chapter 176: A Sincere Sisterly Shouting Match
After a thorough denunciation of Dreykov, the atmosphere between Li Chen and Yelena relaxed considerably, losing its initial tension.
They shared a common "enemy."
"Thank you for saving me, Mr. Li."
Yelena thanked him sincerely.
If Li Chen hadn't saved her, she didn't know how much longer she would have remained in a daze under Dreykov's control.
Although Dreykov hadn't done anything disgusting to her, no one liked being controlled like a puppet.
"You're welcome. I think we should be a little closer."
Li Chen said with a smile.
This caused Yelena's smile to freeze slightly.
Although she had a favorable impression of Li Chen, she still wasn't used to moving so fast.
At least they needed to get to know each other first!
Then, she heard Li Chen say, "Come on, let me hear you call me brother-in-law."
"Dar...?"
The word almost slipped out, but realizing what he meant, she shot to her feet with a whoosh and glared at Li Chen.
"What did you say?"
"Don't you know about my relationship with Natasha?"
Sitting calmly and confident of the outcome, Li Chen said, "Why do you think Natasha starred in my company's movie?"
Yelena was momentarily stunned before finally understanding the situation.
As it turned out, Natasha Romanoff had starred in Li Chen's company's movie and was spotted by Dreykov, who then sent Yelena to kill Li Chen.
Having pieced the whole story together, Yelena finally understood the reason behind the mission.
After all, Agents were only responsible for completing their missions; they never knew the underlying details.
They were merely tools.
With a frosty expression, Yelena snapped, "What does that have to do with me? She is my enemy!"
The relationship between Yelena and Natasha was far from good.
Even though they had been 'Sisters' in their childhood.
In the Red Room, however, no matter how close a relationship was, it would eventually shatter.
It was an environment like raising venomous insects, where they were forced to fight against their closest companions and kill their own partners...
Natasha and Yelena had simply both wanted to survive.
Undeniably, along the way, their relationship had grown strained.
Moreover, what Yelena hated most was that Natasha had simply walked away.
Natasha could betray the Red Room so easily, but what about the other Sisters?
Those left behind fell under Dreykov's suspicion and suffered dual control over both mind and body.
That was the real reason Yelena resented Natasha.
"Alright, that's between you Sisters."
Li Chen shrugged, choosing not to get involved.
Besides, there wasn't anything he could do anyway.
After all, it was family business.
"By the way, what were you about to call me earlier? 'Dar...' what?"
Li Chen then looked at Yelena with amusement.
"Get lost!"
Yelena's face flushed crimson, and she grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and hurled it at him.
Li Chen laughed heartily, then took out his mobile phone.
He hadn't contacted Natasha in a long time.
This was intentional on Li Chen's part; phone calls were completely unnecessary, as no remote connection could ever compare to being together in the flesh.
The longer the wait, the more intense the spark when they finally met.
So he simply dialed a video call.
On the other end, Natasha had her feet propped up on the table, eating a sandwich.
Beside her, Crystal and Skye were engrossed in a two-player game, having the time of their lives.
Seeing the video call from Li Chen, Natasha immediately took her legs off the table.
"Boss, when did you become so ladylike?"
Skye took a look and teased.
Natasha treated them very well, making them feel like family.
Of course, she could be overly strict at times, but that was normal.
"What do you know?"
Natasha rolled her eyes at her, moved the sandwich away, wiped her mouth, and only then answered the video call.
"Li, is something up?"
She forced a stiff, neutral expression.
She hadn't been in touch with Li Chen for a long time, but she hadn't forgotten him—because she simply couldn't.
It wasn't as though Natasha hadn't tried to drown it out by going on missions, but whenever she relaxed, Li Chen's smiling face would surface in her mind.
Especially the feeling he gave her—that complete, helpless exhaustion was something only Li Chen could bring out in her.
Ever since then, she knew she could never escape his grasp.
"Natasha, why so serious?"
Li Chen smiled, nearly breaking Natasha's composure.
"You're the bastard who never called me,"
Natasha said coldly.
Hearing her words, Crystal and Skye exchanged glances, abandoning their game as their ears perked up.
Something was definitely up with the boss!
"I've been too busy. I'm sorry."
Li Chen grabbed hold of Yelena.
Yelena had tried to flee the moment she heard Natasha's voice, but Li Chen gripped her small hand tightly, leaving her unable to break free.
Naturally, Yelena didn't struggle too hard either.
She knew she was no match for Li Chen.
"Anyway, there's something you'll definitely be interested in,"
Li Chen said.
"What is it?"
Natasha grudgingly accepted his explanation, glaring at Crystal and Skye who were watching the show.
On the screen, Li Chen flipped the camera, and a beautiful woman appeared in the frame.
"Look, who is this?"
Natasha initially assumed Li Chen was provoking her—flaunting another woman just because she wasn't by his side.
Natasha naturally knew Li Chen was a flirt, but she didn't care.
She had known that ever since she worked as his assistant, but that didn't mean Li Chen could provoke her like this.
Just as Natasha's temper flared, she looked closer and gasped, "Yelena?!"
The gorgeous blonde stunner with icy-blue eyes on the screen—who else could it be but her Sister, Yelena?
Yelena was far calmer than her, merely sneering, "Hah, didn't expect this, did you, Natasha?"
"Why are you with Li?"
Natasha asked in shock.
That question annoyed Yelena, making it seem as if she weren't important.
In a sudden surge of spite, she grabbed Li Chen and kissed him. "What? Are you the only one allowed to have something with Li? He's my man now."
"Shit, Yelena, are you crazy?"
Natasha instantly blew her top.
And that was precisely Yelena's goal; she wanted nothing more than to infuriate Natasha.
"What's wrong? Li isn't your personal property. It's a fair competition."
Yelena said deliberately.
"Shit! What kind of Sister steals her Sister's man?"
As expected, Natasha flew into an absolute rage.
"Sister? You're no Sister of mine! I don't have family like you, you selfish bastard!"
Hearing that, Yelena became just as enraged, cursing Natasha over the call.
Li Chen watched, completely dumbfounded.
If they were in the same room, wouldn't they have started brawling by now?
Therefore, he stayed completely silent. This wasn't cowardice; this was a strategic retreat.
Women should fight other women—as long as they didn't hit him.
The two yelled insults at each other for quite a while before hanging up the call.
"Don't be mad. Have some Water."
Only then did Li Chen speak up. "Natasha really crossed the line."
"Right?"
Yelena felt pleased hearing this, and she grabbed Li Chenand kissed him again.
Did she get addicted to this or something?
Chapter 177: The Battle for Li Chen
Natasha hung up the phone, trembling with anger.
Afterwards, she immediately stood up and asked for leave from S.H.I.E.L.D..
She was extremely free now, and Maria Hill catered to her every whim.
All of this was brought about by her relationship with Li Chen.
She was no longer just an excellent Agent, but more importantly, the bond maintaining ties with Li Chen, so nothing could happen to her.
"Boss, where are you going?"
Crystal and Skye, who had been eating melons and watching the show all along, also jumped out.
"I'm going to Los Angeles, you guys..."
Natasha prepared to let them stay here.
Who would have thought the two of them would immediately say, "Boss, I want to go too."
"You are our backbone, we can't let you go alone."
Crystal said very solemnly.
Skye also suppressed her smile and said solemnly, "That's right, we have superpowers and can protect you."
How could Natasha believe their nonsense? She rolled her eyes and said, "You guys just want to watch the show, right?"
"Fine then."
But in the end, she didn't refuse.
How could Yelena suddenly appear at Li Chen's place? Could there be danger?
Therefore, she had to bring some people with her, but she couldn't let S.H.I.E.L.D. know.
Because this was her family affair.
Of course, she also wanted to punch Yelena hard a couple of times for daring to fight her for a man!
Did she even take her older sister seriously anymore?
...
"Not bad technique."
Yelena let go of Li Chen and said.
Li Chen spoke up, "Your sister taught it."
This left Yelena with a head full of black lines.
"Alright, Natasha will probably be here soon."
Li Chen asked, "Have you figured out what to do?"
"Of course, I need to get ready."
A blazing fighting spirit burned in Yelena's eyes.
Li Chen could see it, but instead of stopping her, he was quite excited.
He could watch women fight.
"No rush, let's eat first."
Li Chen grabbed Yelena.
Not long after, Bayonetta and the others also came back.
The family happened to eat together.
Li Chen introduced Yelena to them: "This is Yelena, she's one of us from now on."
Li Chen had originally intended for good sisters to share a lifetime, and now that Yelena took the initiative, he was even less likely to let her go.
Yelena was a bit nervous; actually, her thought process was very simple, she just wanted to fight Natasha for a person.
As for how much true affection there was? At least not yet.
She just thought Li Chen was a decent person.
But at a time like this... she should still save face for Li Chen.
Yelena just gave an awkward smile and didn't speak.
After finishing the meal, Yelena went to prepare.
She went outside to retrieve her suitcase, brought it back, and took out her uniform to change into.
That was a white uniform, the same style as Black Widow's, just a different color.
White Widow, Yelena.
Afterwards, she tied up her blonde hair to avoid interfering with the fight.
Hair was a human weakness, whether for men or women.
If hair was too long, it was easily grabbed by others, and if fierce enough, even the scalp would be ripped off.
Watching her come out in her changed outfit, Li Chencouldn't help praising, "This outfit is not bad."
This earned Li Chen an eye-roll from Yelena: "I'm not a model."
"Dear, your figure is better than any model's."
Li Chen wasn't lying this time.
Models' aesthetics differed from the public's; some models had to act as clothes hangers, so they were as thin as spare ribs.
But Yelena was different; she had a naturally stunning frame.
"Natasha is almost here."
Li Chen said afterwards.
He hadn't expected Natasha to come over without stopping for a moment.
It seemed she still cared a lot about her younger sister.
"Let her come."
Yelena said confidently, standing in front of the mirror to tidy up her clothing.
Perfect.
...
After the three of Natasha got off the plane, they asked Li Chen for the address and took a taxi straight there.
In the car, Natasha put down the partition and then changed into her own uniform.
Crystal and Skye, who saw this scene, were both very nervous.
"We're going to fight."
They also hurriedly changed into their own battle suits.
They were all Agent uniforms made by S.H.I.E.L.D., nothing special.
A sea of white filled the back seat.
Arriving at the destination, the three of Natashaimmediately got out of the car, and the driver didn't linger.
This was a wealthy district, after all; if police officers saw them, they would definitely be subjected to questioning.
Those living in this area were either wealthy or noble, and outsiders were not allowed to linger casually.
Even if your attire was slightly subpar—meaning if you didn't 'look' like a rich person—police officers would come over to question you.
When people thought America was heaven, they were most likely referring to this kind of wealthy district.
Because if they had been to the slums, they wouldn't think this place was heaven.
Soon, they arrived outside Li Chen's manor.
Skye was dumbfounded all at once.
"Oh my god? Boss, your boyfriend lives here?"
Skye simply couldn't imagine how big this place was or how comfortable it was to live here.
Because prior to this, she had always lived in an RV.
If Natasha hadn't given her a hand, she would rarely even stay in hotels.
Crystal wasn't too shocked; the royal palace of the Inhumans was bigger than this.
"Let's go in."
The gate quickly opened, and Natasha aggressively went inside to demand accountability.
Then, along the path inside, she saw a figure in a white uniform standing under the distant lights.
By this time, the sky had already darkened, and the lights shining on Yelena made her look rather solitary and serene.
Li Chen also slowly walked over and stood by Yelena's side.
"Natasha!"
He called out, prompting Natasha to involuntarily quicken her pace.
Both women had cold expressions when they met.
Crystal and Skye cleverly didn't approach, instead finding a melon-eating spot nearby.
They were just here to watch the show!
This kind of VIP spot was unavailable at other times.
"Yelena."
Natasha's cold expression relaxed somewhat; seeing her younger sister again, memories of their youth surfaced, every little detail remembered very clearly.
When they were young, they grew up in America, back in Ohio in a remote small town—those were their happiest times.
At that time, they didn't know yet that they were just adopted and that their parents weren't their real parents.
Until that day, when Iron Maiden and the others' mission failed, their 'family' urgently evacuated from America and returned to Mother Russia, after which the two sisters were immediately dragged into the Red Room.
The nightmare began at that exact moment.
Of the remaining memories, Natasha only had hatred, numbness, and pain, with none of the previous happiness left.
Yelena had no idea what she was thinking; she just said with a cold face, "Natasha, you traitor."
"I just didn't want to risk my life for the Red Roomanymore."
Natasha explained.
"Yeah, but you betrayed our sisterhood."
Yelena said coldly, "I don't believe you didn't know the consequences of doing this."
"But you still did it."
Natasha was speechless, only pressing her lips together.
"Now it's time to pay the debt."
Yelena sneered, and then suddenly kissed Li Chen.
Right in front of Natasha, she deliberately initiated a battle for him.
This clearly provoked Natasha.
"Ah!"
Both roared and charged toward each other.
Chapter 178: Stop Fighting!
"It's starting, it's starting!"
Li Chen touched the spot where Yelena had kissed him, his eyes glued excitedly to the field.
At this moment, both female Agents were brimming with hostility.
On the other side, Skye and Crystal also watched with wide eyes.
They had no idea what was going on, but they knew their boss was about to fight that woman named Yelena.
Was she the boss's sister?
Sisters tearing into each other... how thrilling!
Knowing that nothing truly disastrous would happen, they were merely watching the drama unfold.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Natasha and Yelena leapt at the same time, colliding mid-air before crashing heavily onto the grass.
"Hiss!"
Li Chen was somewhat surprised. "They're not holding back at all."
"Women are brutal!"
He muttered to himself; neither of these women was to be trifled with.
He then took a few steps closer to get a clearer view.
Natasha and Yelena's fight wasn't like ordinary women pulling hair; it was far rougher, aimed squarely at each other's faces.
Yelena swung a slap straight at Natasha, while Natashablocked and countered.
Chiefly because both had tied their hair up, it was practically impossible to grab anyway.
Li Chen saw Natasha try to snatch Yelena's hair several times, only for Yelena to whip her head aside and dodge.
It seemed she had prepared for that in advance.
"Bitch, did you really think I'd let you get away with that?"
Yelena said without hesitation.
The two finally broke apart with a single roll.
Both sisters crouched on the ground with one leg stretched out straight—Black Widow's most classic pose—which Li Chen watched with great relish.
Fortunately, neither Black Widow nor White Widow was short, and their long legs were exceptionally alluring.
It was just a pity that, aside from Bayonetta, Li Chen had never seen anyone whose lower legs were longer than their thighs; now that was truly a body defying the laws of nature.
"Yelena, stop being so obstinate."
"You're the obstinate one."
Yelena said furiously, "You ruined all of us."
"Ruined?"
Natasha was perplexed. She knew her defection would make things difficult for the others, but she didn't know what had actually happened.
Yelena clearly had no desire to explain further and charged at her again.
This time, the two didn't grapple on the ground, engaging instead in a proper martial clash.
It was evident that both sisters were still holding back.
Yelena, for example, attacked fiercely but refrained from lethal moves, steering clear of vital points.
Natasha, naturally, did the same.
Li Chen could tell they were merely venting their frustration.
This left Li Chen a bit dissatisfied.
He hadn't waited all this time just to see this.
So he yelled, "Stop fighting! Please, stop fighting!"
"You're not going to kill anyone like that!"
He had to admit that watching women fight was quite captivating, but pulling their punches like this made it feel a bit too showy.
The moment those words came out, the two women brawling passionately stopped obediently, both staring at Li Chen with bizarre expressions.
Skye couldn't hold it in and snorted with laughter.
Then, catching the fierce glares of the two women, she quickly covered her mouth and shook her head, indicating it wasn't her fault.
"Ahem, carry on."
Li Chen was also getting creeped out by their stares.
However, Natasha and Yelena exchanged a look, instantly reading each other's minds.
Li Chen definitely needed to be taught a lesson.
"Get him!"
Both women lunged toward him at once.
Li Chen naturally didn't dodge; opportunities to have them throw themselves into his arms were rare.
He caught one in each arm, taking advantage of the momentum to collapse onto the lawn nearby.
At that moment, Li Chen felt he didn't have enough hands, and their Agent suits were of such high quality that he couldn't find an opening to slip a hand in.
Being too form-fitting was a disadvantage too—he couldn't feel their softness from the outside.
Meanwhile, Natasha and Yelena didn't let him off, pounding his chest to vent their irritation.
Li Chen simply wrapped his arms around them, letting them have their way.
After a few minutes, Natasha and Yelena looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"You scoundrel, if you dare make a move on my sister, I won't let you off."
Natasha glared at Li Chen.
Li Chen's hands were still wandering.
Yelena didn't mind at all; instead, she provoked her, "Natasha, do you remember what we said when we were little?"
"What did we say?"
Natasha frowned.
"We won't ever be separated, and we'll always stay together in the future."
A smirk played on Yelena's lips.
Natasha froze.
Almost every pair of sisters had said the same thing in childhood, but obviously, no one took it seriously.
Yet Yelena was determined to take it seriously right now.
They turned to look at Li Chen together, only to find him wearing a silly grin; speaking at a time like this was the last thing he should do.
One shouldn't act smug after getting the sweet end of a deal.
Li Chen simply said, "You must be tired. Let's head inside first."
He would never comment on that subject.
Especially when Yelena was already being so forward.
He understood Yelena's mindset—ever since she was young, this little sister loved taking her older sister's things, and nothing had changed in adulthood.
In reality, it was a form of possessiveness.
It was just that having it happen to Li Chen was wonderful.
Li Chen had planned to carry them back inside, but with others present, both Natasha and Yelena wriggled free.
Once on their feet, the two exchanged another glance and let out a sigh.
They were clearly not as angry as before.
Li Chen asked, "Natasha, aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Whoa, is this a harem you gathered for me?"
he teased intentionally.
This left Crystal and Skye utterly bewildered.
"Keep dreaming!"
Natasha pinched him right on the waist, but couldn't pinch a single fold of skin.
This bastard Li Chen had a body as hard as steel.
"They're my team members. Don't you dare bully them."
Natasha explained, "This is Skye, and this is Crystalia Amaquelin. You can call her Crystal."
Hearing the names, Li Chen thought they sounded somewhat familiar.
Mostly Skye's.
"What did Skye do before?"
he inquired.
"What did she do? She's a hacker."
Natasha said warily. Not daring to let Skye and Crystal stay any longer, she told them, "You two go find a hotel outside."
The corner of Li Chen's mouth twitched. Was he really that frightening?
He glared at Natasha; he would definitely have to discipline her thoroughly later and let her know who called the shots.
Watching Skye and Crystal flee in panic, Li Chen realized who she was.
Skye, hacker... wasn't that Quake?
Wait, how had she ended up on Natasha's team?
And hadn't Black Widow always operated alone? Why was she leading a squad now?
Li Chen voiced his confusion.
Natasha gave him a complicated look. "It's all your fault. They don't dare assign me dangerous missions anymore."
Only then did Li Chen realize it was connected to him.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It's about time you retired anyway."
Li Chen finally linked arms with both of them; the two sisters truly belonged together.
This made Yelena feel a trace of envy. "Natasha, you have it so good. Not like the rest of us."
At that mention, resentment surfaced in Yelena once more.
Chapter 179: An Eye for an Eye
The three of them clung together as they returned to the house.
Everyone else had already returned to their respective rooms.
They didn't come out to watch the drama.
Only 2B and A2 were still sitting in the living room.
Natasha and Yelena were startled when they came in.
"Why aren't they making any sound at all?"
Yelena complained.
She had found it strange before; these two people didn't even need to eat.
Moreover, each was weirder than the other. A2's body was covered in sutures, making her look like she was pieced together rather than human.
As for 2B, she always wore a blindfold, and it was a mystery how she could see clearly.
Only Natasha widened her eyes. She had recently been playing a game following Crystal, so she naturally recognized them.
"2B?"
She asked doubtfully.
Li Chen nodded: "That's right."
"Hello, human."
2B also let out a gentle voice.
Afterward, like a Robot, she sat obediently on the sofa with her hands crossed on her lap.
Well, she was a Robot to begin with.
Natasha grabbed Li Chen and asked: "Don't tell me 2B existed first too."
"And this one."
Yelena didn't understand, but sharing the same hatred as her sister, she joined in putting pressure on Li Chen with her gaze.
But Li Chen didn't feel any pressure at all and nodded: "You're right."
"Hmph!"
Natasha had already guessed it.
She didn't know what was going on with Li Chen, but he could actually bring people and items out of works of fiction.
No wonder he wanted to become the boss of a film and television company.
In an instant, Natasha figured everything out.
But she wouldn't tell this secret to others, especially S.H.I.E.L.D.
She was already leaning toward Li Chen's side.
Yelena didn't understand at all, and just asked curiously: "2B... why is it like this?"
"Because they are androids."
Li Chen did not hide it from Yelena.
"What?"
Yelena widened her eyes.
Afterward, she secretly glanced at 2B and A2. Their sitting posture was too standard; no normal Agent would sit like that.
Moreover, they wouldn't get tired at all.
Coupled with the sutures on A2's body, which made her look like she was pieced together, everything made sense if they were androids.
Yelena looked at Li Chen; how many secrets were there that she didn't know about?
Meanwhile, Li Chen considerately brought over a bottle of red wine.
The manor had a collection of quite a lot of wine, although he didn't drink often.
But whether he drank it or not wasn't important; what mattered was that he had to have it.
Then, Li Chen filled three wine glasses in various ways and had 2B and A2 return to their rooms first.
They were originally just waiting for Li Chen, and they didn't need rest anyway.
"Thirsty, right?"
Li Chen placed the red wine in front of the two sisters.
Neither of the sisters stood on ceremony with him, directly picking up their glasses and taking a sip.
Natasha spoke up: "Yelena, tell me about the situation after I left."
Hearing this, Yelena felt another surge of nameless anger.
"You still have the face to ask."
Hearing Yelena's words, Natasha firmly apologized: "It was my lack of consideration. Can you tell me now?"
Yelena was silent for a moment, then said: "After you left, Dreykov completely lost trust in the rest of us."
"For the past few years, he has constantly been thinking about one thing: how to ensure that something like what happened with you never happens again."
She glared at Natasha, making Natasha feel somewhat guilty.
This was probably what they call 'the predecessors chop wood, and the successors suffer in the scorching sun'.
"Then what did he do?"
Natasha asked with a slight tremor.
Yelena let out a cold snort, her hatred for her diminishing quite a bit, though her hatred for Dreykov remained the main focus.
She believed that as long as the other sisters 'woke up', they would have the exact same thoughts as her.
"He subjected all of us to mental control, and even planted a miniature bomb on the back of our necks. Once we lose control, it will blow our heads off. Are you satisfied now?"
Yelena's gnashing of teeth made Natasha feel extremely guilty.
However, upon hearing Yelena's words, she still said: "This is not what I wanted."
"Of course, you just wanted freedom, but everyone else has been miserably harmed because of you."
Yelena taunted.
As an Agent, who wouldn't want freedom?
Especially since the Red Room was already perverted to begin with.
For instance, the Red Room had a rule that when they slept at night, one of their hands would be handcuffed to the head of the bed to prevent them from escaping or causing trouble at night.
Over time, the Black Widows all got used to sleeping this way, and if the handcuffs weren't on at night, they couldn't sleep peacefully instead.
The two words 'freedom' were an extremely extravagant luxury for them.
Natasha fell silent for a moment, then said: "I will resolve this matter, and I will avenge everyone."
Originally, Natasha didn't want to care about the Red Room's affairs anymore.
But Yelena's appearance let her know that this matter wasn't over.
And previously, she didn't have the ability to fight against the Red Room; after all, she was just an Agent.
But it was different now; she had team members and helpers.
Li Chen put his arms around them and said: "Rest assured, I will help you too."
"Drink first."
Hearing this, the two women took another sip.
Natasha really looked somewhat guilty, so she began to drown her sorrows in heavy drinking frantically.
"Why do you want to help us?"
Yelena looked at Li Chen and asked.
"It's very simple."
Li Chen spoke up: "You are my people now, of course I have to help you."
Most importantly, Dreykov provoked him first. Li Chen was a good guy in every aspect, except that he held a bit of a grudge.
Back when he played League of Legends, whoever ganked him once would be targeted by him continuously afterwards, and even more so now—he was someone who sought revenge for the slightest grievance.
Dreykov had already come to provoke him, so if he didn't pay it back, wouldn't that make him look too easy to bully?
Huaxia people were like this; they didn't wait overnight to take revenge.
Of course, if the gap in strength was too large, then a gentleman taking revenge even ten years later was not too late.
In short, every grievance must be avenged.
But Li Chen's words didn't win the two women's gratitude; instead, they both punched him a bit.
Li Chen didn't mind either. When they had drunk enough, he took them upstairs.
Of course, Li Chen wasn't too excessive; he first sent Yelena into a guest room.
Ram and Rem had already cleaned up this place long ago.
Even for rooms where no one lived, the two sisters would still clean them.
Now with the help of 2B and A2, it was even easier.
Although 2B and the others were combat-type Robots, they also had service capabilities.
It was just that they leaned more toward combat.
Looking at Natasha, who was still being held in Li Chen's arms, Yelena had a premonition of what was about to happen.
"Don't be too crazy."
She simply reminded him.
"Mind your own business?"
Natasha retorted, shutting the door closed.
Looking at the closed door, Yelena just felt somewhat restless.
For an Agent, this little bit of wine was nothing, at most causing a little dryness in the mouth.
Just thinking about what Natasha and Li Chen were doing made her a bit thirsty.
Thus, her battle suit was tossed aside one piece after another, and she headed straight to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, it felt as though one could hear Natasha's loud singing.
Chapter 180: Brain Development Percentage
The next day, Yelena woke up groggily.
Neatly folded clothes lay beside her, along with a glass of water.
Without even thinking, she knew it was the work of that thoughtful maid.
After washing up and stepping out, she ran right into a radiant, refreshed Natasha.
"Morning."
Natasha greeted her.
Yelena remarked enviously, "How does it even have a rejuvenating effect? Your skin looks noticeably better."
"Really? That's wonderful."
Natasha smiled.
"Where's Li Chen?"
"He'll be down in a bit."
Natasha and Yelena walked downstairs together; the manor was already bustling with activity.
Seeing so many people, Natasha fell into silence.
Bayonetta, Jeanne, Nami, 2B... all of them came from completely different works.
This only made Natasha even more certain of Li Chen's unfathomable abilities.
She couldn't begin to fathom how Li Chen had managed it.
...
[*Lucy* is currently in theaters; Prestige Points +4,500]
[...]
[Current Prestige Points: 120,073]
*Lucy*'s popularity was lower than his previous works, and Prestige Points weren't accumulating as quickly.
Still, it had at least scraped together enough for a ten-pull.
He hadn't drawn any lottery rewards since *Lucy* was released. He was quite curious about CPH4, wondering if it really worked.
"Let's do a ten-pull!"
[Do you wish to spend 100,000 Prestige Points to perform a ten-pull lottery draw?]
"Yes!"
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining through the lottery: 1 bag of CPH4.]
He hadn't expected to hit the jackpot right away.
Li Chen was pleasantly surprised.
[CPH4: A substance produced by pregnant women during the sixth week of pregnancy that provides the energy required for fetal bone development. Consuming it develops the brain to a certain degree. It can be used without limit until brain development reaches 100%.]
[Note: An ordinary constitution cannot withstand the state of maximum brain development; doing so will inevitably cause physical collapse and merging with the universe.]
This was different from the movie. In the film, Lucy's brain developed continuously and at a breakneck pace.
Moreover, she had only absorbed it once without any subsequent intake.
According to the system's description, however, the CPH4 Li Chen drew could be absorbed repeatedly, and it wouldn't develop continuously on its own.
This meant that it was 'controllable.'
In the movie, Lucy surely hadn't wanted her brain to develop nonstop; if it could have stabilized at a certain level, she would have become a true God Among Men.
Unfortunately, that evolution couldn't be halted, ultimately causing her to transcend humanity entirely.
Now, however, this evolution was controllable!
"That's pretty impressive."
Li Chen was overjoyed, but the draw was still continuing.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining through the lottery: CPH4 x4]
[Bayonetta's Lollipop x3]
[Tatsumaki Summoning Shard]
[Fubuki Summoning Shard]
Scoring five bags of CPH4 from a ten-pull, Li Chen felt the drop rate was quite generous.
He closed the system interface. With a flip of his palm, a pouch of blue crystalline powder appeared, looking strikingly bewitching.
Following the system's instructions, Li Chen mixed it directly with water and drank it.
There wasn't any overly dramatic sensation, only a faint warmth spreading through his body.
[Ding! Host has absorbed CPH4. Brain development has reached 21%.]
According to the movie's lore, an ordinary human's brain development hovered around ten percent.
Twenty percent brain development enhanced bodily functions, sharpened the five senses to the extreme, enabled the perception of energy flows, and even allowed one to see the internal structures of objects—virtually making them a Superman.
Since Li Chen could already do all of that, it was only natural that his brain development was already sitting at over twenty percent.
This left Li Chen slightly disappointed.
"And here I thought my brain development would be much higher."
He did possess a Kryptonian physique, after all.
When a Kryptonian absorbed solar energy, it enhanced not only their body, but also their brain.
His brain had already been developed.
He just hadn't expected it to only be this much...
No wonder Super Brain only ever advised him to use Super Strength.
"Let's take another pack."
Li Chen wanted to see how much a single pack could increase it.
He mixed another pack and drank it down, feeling as if he was getting full just from drinking water.
[Ding! Host has absorbed CPH4. Brain development has reached 22%.]
One pack raised it by one percent.
"I wonder if it's a fixed increase, or if it slows down as it gets higher."
"Looking at it now, getting brain development to one hundred percent really won't be easy."
Li Chen reflected on it; if it worked like the movie, a single pack probably would have been more than enough.
He decided to just consume the rest, pushing it straight up to twenty-five percent.
Li Chen didn't notice any dramatic change from the increase in brain development.
Perhaps it was because his physical constitution was already absurdly strong.
After all, possessing abilities like Super Vision and Super Hearing made such subtle increments barely perceptible.
...
Downstairs, Natasha and Yelena had already finished their discussion.
When Li Chen came down to eat, Natasha stated plainly, "We've decided to set out as soon as possible to find Dreykov."
"So soon?"
Li Chen asked.
"Dreykov is extremely cautious. He will definitely relocate. If we delay, we'll lose their trail, and tracking them down again will be difficult."
Natasha added, "Besides, he is vicious. If he decides to move against the other sisters..."
That was Natasha's greatest concern.
Li Chen smiled and said, "I can locate him very quickly."
"No."
However, both Natasha and Yelena shook their heads, imploring, "We want to take revenge ourselves. Let us handle it."
This showed just how deeply they loathed Dreykov.
Li Chen agreed without hesitation: "Very well, but I won't stand by and watch you face mortal danger."
"Deal."
With Li Chen's assurance, Natasha and Yelena felt considerably more confident.
"By the way, could 2B and the others help us?"
Natasha then asked.
After all, there was still a massive number of Black Widows; though she didn't know the exact figure, there were easily over a thousand.
Over a thousand elite Black Widows, if properly directed, could secretly pull the strings of the entire world.
Li Chen looked toward 2B and the rest. 2B and A2 stood up immediately, whereas the others showed no interest.
They weren't well-acquainted with Natasha and Yelena, so naturally they had no desire to get involved.
Bayonetta and Jeanne, for instance, headed straight out the door after finishing their meal.
"Having the two of them is plenty,"
Natasha smiled. "After all, we're planning an infiltration."
She never planned to fight her way in head-on; they were vastly outnumbered, after all.
What an Agent excelled at most was infiltration.
"Plus my two squad members, that makes six of us."
Yelena asked skeptically, "Can they really pull their weight?"
"I've been training them personally,"
Natasha replied. "And... they have superpowers."
Natasha saw no reason to keep it secret, as they would soon be fighting side by side and needed to know their teammates' capabilities.
"Oh?"
Yelena was somewhat surprised. "What kind of superpower?"
"Skye. She can unleash the power of Quake, with destructive force comparable to a localized earthquake."
Hearing this, Li Chen thought to himself: as expected, it really was Quake.
Chapter 181: Li Chen Wants a Sister Donburi
But then Li Chen quickly realized.
Quake was an Inhumans—weren't they enemies of Mutants?
Li Chen thought for a moment; at worst, he'd just keep the pretty ones...
Yelena was somewhat shocked, and a bit envious: "So lucky."
Inhumans were born that way, so it truly was good luck.
"Crystal is stronger, so there's no need to worry."
A smile tugged at Natasha's lips, which made Yelena a bit annoyed.
This turned out to be Natasha's team member.
It seemed Natasha had indeed been doing quite well since leaving the Red Room!
Afterwards, they began making arrangements.
Li Chen told Jubilee and the others that he was taking the day off today.
As the boss, he could rest whenever he wanted, and no one could say anything about it.
However, even if he was taking a break, Gwen and the others couldn't; they still had to go to work.
On the other side, Natasha also called Skye and Crystal over.
Only then did Li Chen take a proper look at Skye.
Skye looked a bit like Chloe Bennet, but there were differences.
Crystal, on the other hand, reminded Li Chen of a character from League of Legends.
"My name isn't Vi, it's Chu Yuxun."
Frankly, her look really did resemble her.
It was just that the hair color was different.
"How did you sleep last night?"
Natasha asked out of care.
"Pretty good. I've never slept in such a comfortable room before."
Skye didn't mind either way; she could sleep anywhere.
She was just curiously watching the few people present, wondering to what stage their relationship had developed...
Gossip was human nature, after all.
Crystal, meanwhile, looked somewhat dazed at the two androids standing obediently by the side.
"2B?"
"Human, is something the matter?"
Even though 2B's eyes were covered by a visor, Crystal knew she could see her.
"How is this possible?"
Crystal had initially thought it was cosplay.
But now after speaking to her, she was certain this was the real 2B.
And beside her was A2, carrying the demeanor of a mature, aloof beauty.
This gave Crystal a surreal, dreamlike feeling—fighting alongside a character she had once controlled in a game, could anything be more exciting than this?
"Alright."
Natasha then gathered everyone to brief them.
"Next, we're heading to Russia. It's very cold there, so be prepared."
"The Red Room's bases are typically set up in icy, snowy lands. Even though it's almost summer now, you won't want to wear anything light."
Natasha was very serious: "Also, Li and the two... will help us."
Crystal clapped enthusiastically.
"Awesome."
"2B, let me see your sword!"
"You pervert!"
Skye immediately pulled Crystal back and went to prepare.
Yelena and Natasha, on the other hand, didn't need to prepare much; they were from Russia, and their battle suits could resist the cold.
But Skye and Crystal were quite exaggerated, pulling out padded winter coats.
"…"
Natasha said helplessly, "Dressed like that, are you going to hit someone or get hit?"
Unable to do otherwise, she could only help them line their Agent suits with thicker insulation.
At that moment, Skye asked a crucial question: "So, how are we getting to Russia?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't even know about their current mission yet.
Natasha had a great deal of freedom within S.H.I.E.L.D.right now, and when dealing with personal matters, she naturally wouldn't report them.
Thus, Natasha could only turn to Li Chen for help.
"Simple."
Li Chen took them straight to the airport, making a call to White Queen on the way to have her arrange it.
Overhearing Li Chen's call with White Queen, Natashafinally realized that Li Chen's status in the Hellfire Clubwas far from ordinary.
Otherwise, how could he talk directly to White Queen?
And from the sound of it, White Queen even took orders from him.
Unbelievable!
Natasha knew from S.H.I.E.L.D. that Li Chen belonged to the Hellfire Club, but she hadn't expected his status to be so exalted.
After Li Chen made that single phone call, by the time they reached the Los Angeles airport, Hellfire's private jet was already parked there.
Hellfire naturally had branches in Russia as well, located in Moscow and Saint Petersburg respectively.
The Hellfire Club had branches in practically every major region across the globe; the only difference was the amount of personnel.
Therefore, its private jet wouldn't cause any issues.
Besides, Li Chen wasn't planning to intervene directly. He would show his face at a party while Natasha and the others acted in secret, so there wouldn't be any problem.
Actually, the safest option would have been asking Faorafor help.
But Faora was currently only interested in reviving Krypton. Whenever she had free time, she would grab Li Chen and not let him escape—a pure gold-draining machine.
"Cool, this is my first time on a private jet,"
Skye said excitedly.
Furthermore, Hellfire's private jet was different from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s planes had all kinds of advanced tech, but they leaned toward practicality.
Hellfire's private jet, however, focused entirely on luxury.
Every form of enjoyment imaginable was available inside; after all, it had been designed by Hellfire's two Queens.
Things like movie theaters and swimming pools were all on board.
There were even dance studios and the like—everything one could ask for.
Most importantly, there were beauties of various skin tones dressed in flight attendant uniforms; of course, one could also have them change into other outfits to ensure the journey wouldn't be too tiring.
Or perhaps, entirely too exhausting.
Such a luxurious lifestyle made even Yelena lament, "The rich really deserve to die."
"That's capitalism."
Natasha was already accustomed to it, merely remarking, "Did you think the oligarchs back home were any better?"
Russia's oligarch economy was simply beyond human ability to solve.
On the surface, it looked like many oligarchs had been dealt with, but in reality, oligarchs remained everywhere.
They had only struck down a few who stuck their necks out.
Being from Russia, they were even more aware of the destitution ordinary people faced.
This was no joke. Aside from a few wealthier cities, in places like Novosibirsk, an ordinary high schooler was lucky to have a hundred rubles of daily allowance.
A hundred rubles was only worth about ten RMB.
That was how extreme it was.
The plane soon took off. After the flight attendants served food and coffee, they left of their own accord.
An excited Skye said she wanted to watch a movie and dragged Crystal away with her.
Only the three of them were left. Li Chen told 2B and A2 to go rest in the back as well.
Although androids didn't need to rest, they were very obedient to their Master.
Then, Li Chen pulled one into each arm.
Natasha and Yelena both fell into his embrace.
"What are you doing?"
Yelena was startled.
Li Chen said with righteous conviction, "Discussing your plan, of course."
"We can't just head over there foolishly without one, can we?"
"Is there any need to do it like this, then?"
Natasha gave his waist a pinch.
"This way, nothing will leak out."
Li Chen refused to let go, forcing Natasha and Yelena to see each other's faces up close the moment they looked up.
The two sisters exchanged a glance, and unable to break free, they could only quickly lower their heads.
Natasha already knew what this bastard Li Chen was trying to do.
He actually wanted to have a sister sandwich.
But having no choice, they could only continue discussing their subsequent plans.
Chapter 182: Is This How You Test a Cadre?
Hellfire's private jet quickly crossed the Pacific Ocean and entered the territory of Russia.
The U.S. and Russia were considered very close to each other, much closer than Europe.
Returning here once again, Black Widow Natasha's expression was quite complex.
In the end, the three of them merely discussed the plan.
Li Chen was not in a hurry to eat.
After all, time was limited.
He definitely wasn't that fast.
The private jet headed straight for St. Petersburg; by comparison, Li Chen liked this place better.
Moscow was too serious, and its defenses were also relatively strict.
St. Petersburg was different. There was a saying in Russia: make money elsewhere, and spend it in St. Petersburg.
This was their tourist resort, much like Sanya was to Huaxia people.
Li Chen was essentially here on vacation, helping Natashaand the others cover up their mission.
Having come here, of course he had to experience the local Russian women.
Therefore, only Li Chen got off the plane alone.
After Li Chen left, Natasha and the others finally relaxed a bit, then headed towards the fighter jet prepared by Hellfire on the side.
Seeing the fighter jet, Black Widow's expression shifted slightly.
"This Hellfire Club is simply too powerful."
Yelena also murmured.
This was Russia, yet they could still accomplish all of this effortlessly.
What Natasha cared about more, however, was Li Chen's identity.
However, she was already Li Chen's woman now. Between Li Chen and S.H.I.E.L.D., she would choose Li Chen without hesitation.
After all, she didn't have much affection for S.H.I.E.L.D. to begin with.
As a defected Agent, she had never expected to become true upper management.
Therefore, she naturally felt that the stronger Li Chen was, the better.
She simply loved strong people.
"Get on the plane."
Natasha didn't say much more and crawled inside.
Skye and the others also filed in one by one. Carrying their respective belongings, they only started changing into their combat suits after boarding the fighter jet.
...
"Your Excellency White King."
After Li Chen left the airport, someone was already waiting for him.
It was a Russian woman around thirty years old, who still looked quite charming and graceful.
But that was only from a distance. Up close, her skin was actually somewhat poor.
Slavs and white people women still had a slight difference; Russian women had more three-dimensional facial features and distinct characteristics, allowing you to tell at a glance that she was a Russian woman.
However, there were also commonalities, namely their short shelf life.
Teenage Russian girls looked just like adults, stunning people at first glance.
But once they reached their twenties, their looks would rapidly decline, leaving people sighing in regret.
But no matter how short their prime was, it was still a prime; at least they had blossomed once.
"My name is Marusha."
"Hello, Marusha."
Li Chen had already put on a mask by this time. Guided by Marusha, he entered the luxury car.
"The tycoons and dignitaries of St. Petersburg are all members of the Hellfire Club, and they are all eagerly anticipating Your Excellency White King's arrival."
Marusha's face carried a flattering expression.
The moment Li Chen entered the backseat, two fair-skinned Russian women pressed close to him.
Li Chen took a look; they were the kind currently in their prime.
Their looks were very distinctive—one was blonde and the other had dark hair, both with deeply set facial features.
Li Chen didn't refuse. He had simply come here to experience it.
Moreover, he had to display this side of himself in order to achieve the camouflage effect.
Much like Bruce Wayne, who was Batman at night, but a playboy during the day, doing all sorts of shocking things. In Gotham, it was as if he were playing a single-player game.
He could do whatever he pleased.
To the extent that no one knew whether he was truly putting on an act or acting out of genuine nature.
Along the way, enjoying the service of the two young and beautiful Russian women, Li Chen arrived at the St. Petersburg Hellfire Club.
The Hellfire Club here was extremely luxurious; from the outside, it looked just like a five-star hotel.
The time was still early. Li Chen walked straight in and came to the most prestigious room prepared for him.
Afterwards, Marusha clapped her hands, and a dozen or so youthful, beautiful, fair-skinned Russian women filed in from outside.
"Your Excellency White King, they have all participated in beauty pageants and placed in them, and none of them are over twenty-five..."
Marusha knelt beside Li Chen, introducing them intimately.
Facing such local specialties, Li Chen naturally wouldn't refuse.
"Are you testing a cadre with this?"
"Which cadre could withstand this kind of test?"
However, thinking that he now had to pretend to be true to his nature, Li Chen had no choice but to reluctantly accept.
...
The fighter jet that Black Widow and the others took was entirely snow-white, which complemented the icy, snowy world nicely when they arrived.
Inside, Black Widow and the others had all changed into their combat suits.
Black Widow was dressed all in black, while White Widow Yelena wore a white combat suit.
Skye and Crystal hesitated for a moment, but still chose to wear white.
Because the black was simply too eye-catching.
Black Widow Natasha didn't care.
At this moment, everyone kept quiet, and even Yelena was very sullen.
"Can we catch them?"
Skye asked somewhat nervously.
Heaven help her, just before today's mission, she was merely a hacker.
Although she had acquired superpowers, she hadn't trained for much time before being brought straight here for actual combat.
The enemy went all out and started off so strong; if she didn't use her superpower, she definitely wouldn't be a match for them.
But in this ice and snow... wouldn't there be an avalanche?
"The probability is very low."
Black Widow Natasha said, "The Red Room is very cautious. The moment Yelena lost contact, they probably prepared to evacuate."
She was trained by the Red Room, so she naturally knew the Red Room's style.
Yelena also nodded.
"We're almost there."
Yelena looked outside and then spoke.
"Put on your headsets, Li will help us."
This made Yelena very curious. She stood up, grabbed the handrail, and asked, "How is he going to help us?"
Yelena hadn't spent long with Li Chen; the only impression she had was that Li Chen had a nice figure.
Of course, his strength was also very strong.
But no matter how strong Li Chen was, he was still a human, right?
"You'll know in a moment."
Natasha said very indifferently.
In her heart, Li Chen had become increasingly mysterious, and anything he did was possible.
Right at that moment, the fighter jet stopped in mid-air. After receiving word from the pilot, Natasha pushed the door open directly.
"Whoosh~"
The cold wind outside, mixed with snow pellets, blew straight in.
Natasha directly threw down a rappel rope.
"We'll go down first."
Natasha said, "Next are 2B and A2."
The two androids, 2B, simply nodded.
Skye said nervously, "I don't know how to jump yet."
"I'll take you with me."
Natasha directly buckled Skye up, then took Skye and leaped down in one go.
"Ah!"
Skye screamed in fright, but quickly covered her mouth herself.
What if there were still enemies in the base below? Wouldn't her screaming expose them?
Fortunately, when they landed on the ground, no enemies appeared.
However, this wasn't good news for Natasha.
This meant that the base had been abandoned.
Dreykov was indeed very cautious.
Chapter 183 Natasha: That's Just 2B's Lore
Before long, Yelena landed as well.
Then came 2B and A2. As for Crystal, she directly controlled an ice 'platform' that brought her safely down to the ground.
Skye snapped completely upon seeing it: "Crystal, why didn't you tell me you had this ability?"
"It's because the boss was too fast."
Crystal said with a smile.
Seeing this made Skye tremble with indignation.
"Alright, stay alert."
Natasha gave the command, and they instantly stopped fooling around.
As for 2B and A2, they had already spread out, and 2B even released her Pod to scout.
2B's Pod worked similarly to a drone, accompanying her everywhere. It not only provided long-range combat capabilities to make up for 2B's shortcomings, but could also save 2B's data upon her 'death'.
In the game, when players died, it was precisely because the Pod retained the data that they could return to retrieve it and continue using it.
Beyond combat, it also served as a mobility aid and information exchanger, acting essentially as a communicator.
2B and A2's Pods began roaming around and scanning the area.
Red light flashed in A2's eyes.
"What did you find?"
Natasha walked over and asked.
"There are still active signals from a small number of humans in the base."
A2 remarked.
She had never seen so many people before!
But now, there truly were a lot of living humans, which almost caused a conflict in A2's core code.
Fortunately, they had pledged allegiance before coming over, so even if these were all humans, they only needed to listen to Li Chen.
"There are still people?"
Natasha frowned, then said, "It's an ambush."
Yelena naturally knew as well; the people Dreykov left behind were mere sacrifices.
"We have to save them."
Yelena said.
Natasha nodded.
Although the relationships among Black Widows were tense—after all, they had been raised like battle royal competitors—in such extreme situations, they didn't actually trust each other.
But even so, they still had to save them.
Having a whole group rebel against Dreykov together was better than just the few of them.
With a common enemy, it wasn't impossible for them to become friends.
Furthermore, Natasha had to consider another problem.
Once Dreykov was eliminated, these well-trained Black Widows scattered across the globe would become 'masterless'.
Once they lost their organization, could they survive in society? How much harm would they cause to society?
These were all things Natasha had to consider.
If they lived peaceful lives, that would be fine, but what if another organization captured them? The threat would be no less than that of the Red Room.
Natasha planned to talk to Li Chen about this later.
But right now...
"It's open."
Yelena finally opened the base door.
The base was located in the snow, virtually unnoticeable even from satellite imagery.
As the iron door slowly opened, freezing wind immediately howled inside.
2B stepped forward, scanned the area, and said, "There are bombs."
"The enemy is controlling surveillance. Overriding control now."
2B's Pod immediately flew over, and 2B paused in place, her blindfolded eyes flashing with light.
"Control of the base has been seized."
Hearing her words, Yelena was completely dumbfounded: "That simple?"
Natasha also shrugged: "That's just her lore."
"What kind of setting is so ridiculous..."
Yelena twitched her mouth.
Natasha shook her head; Yelena had simply seen too little.
Wait until she saw that bald guy before calling anything ridiculous.
Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. had watched the manga and anime countless times, they still couldn't find Saitama's The Blind Side.
Those The Blind Side of his were like a joke, such as being afraid of mosquitoes...
In other aspects? Truly flawless.
It was as if Starlight Pictures had intentionally avoided giving him a The Blind Side, making him so 'invincible'.
This was understandable; when the comic artists saw that Saitama actually existed, they became extremely cautious when drawing, not daring to depict even the slightest flaw in Saitama.
This resulted in Saitama's invincible posture.
This made things hard for S.H.I.E.L.D., which could only designate Saitama as an entity not to be provoked and a top secret.
Even Hydra thought the same.
Hydra was terrified that Saitama might learn of their existence.
Because given Saitama's personality, he would never let a single shred of evil slide.
At least Hydra had self-awareness; they knew they were evil.
So they didn't dare reveal themselves before Saitama at all.
"Let me know when you're ready. Just knock them all unconscious."
"But we don't have the antidote."
Yelena spoke up.
"Then how did Li break your mind control?"
Black Widow Natasha was very curious.
...
"What's going on?"
"How could they seize control of my base?"
Dreykov was furious.
Ever since making contact with Li Chen, the man's methods were practically unheard of.
First, he freed Yelena from control without using the antidote, causing her to betray him, and now he had easily seized control of the base.
It was as though they were being completely crushed by technology.
It made him feel like he was facing technology from a hundred years in the future.
Totally outclassed.
"Is Melina here?"
Feeling uneasy, Dreykov immediately summoned Melina.
Although Melina was expressionless, she faintly sensed something.
She was also dissatisfied with Dreykov.
Ever since Dreykov took control of the Red Room, he had gradually gone mad.
He not only revived the formula Hydra had used to brainwash the Winter Soldier, stripping the Black Widows of their free will, but also forced her to develop microchips to enhance his control.
This turned all the Black Widows into killing machines with no self-awareness, yet retaining their clarity and combat instinct.
This was unacceptable for anyone.
They were like puppets on strings, their bodies controlled by Dreykov.
Melina felt that if she hadn't been useful, she might have been controlled by Dreykov as well.
Therefore, the person she feared and hated most was Dreykov.
Yet she was unable to refuse.
"Melina, we haven't talked in a long time. Take a seat here."
Dreykov smiled, "Let's have a good talk."
Melina quietly stepped further away, afraid that Dreykovmight try to grope her.
But she was overthinking it; whether due to impotence or some other reason, Dreykov didn't lay a hand on her.
It seemed he really just brought her over to chat.
But Melina knew she couldn't leave this place anymore; she had become a hostage.
Why her?
"Could it be... Yelena is attacking?"
"But how could she alone make Dreykov so fearful?"
Melina was smart and immediately realized a certain possibility.
Her heart pounded rapidly as she saw a glimmer of hope to escape his control.
She had long been suspected by Dreykov, which forced her to surrender all power and give up everything, but even so, Dreykov still wouldn't let her leave the Red Room.
She had thought her life would end like this, but now... it seemed she might get a new lease on life.
Chapter 184: All the Black Widows Are Top-Tier
"As expected, I really need to learn foreign languages!"
Li Chen lamented with emotion; language was truly the most useful thing in the world.
For instance, after just one daytime, Li Chen had learned Russian.
Russian wasn't actually hard, but rolling the tongue made him a bit unaccustomed.
Perhaps because of the tongue-rolling, Russian girls were all very adept at it and extremely nimble.
If he didn't have to attend the party, Li Chen wouldn't want to leave the gentle realm of passion right now.
That feeling was far too wonderful, making one thoroughly addicted.
He changed into a custom black suit and put on his Batman mask.
Taking advantage of this moment, he sensed the situation slightly.
Black Widow and the others' operation was going quite smoothly; they had found the previous base, and as expected, the Red Room had evacuated in an emergency.
However, quite a few things had been left behind, without even being destroyed in time.
Furthermore, several Agents who couldn't be taken along were left behind as an ambush.
But these few Black Widows were clearly no match for Natasha and her crew.
Black Widow Natasha was the Red Room's finest Agent, while White Widow Yelena had even broken Natasha's record.
One could say the younger sister was even stronger than the elder.
Now, with the two sisters joining forces plus help from the others, dealing with a few mind-controlled Black Widows was child's play.
They knocked the Black Widows out directly and then extracted the microchips.
But even so, the control had not been broken.
Just then, a voice came through Black Widow's earpiece: "In the box next to you, there's a red spray. It looks like the antidote."
Put simply, this was a form of mind control; anyone with Telepathy could easily remove it.
But their group had no Telepathy users, as telepaths were very precious after all.
Yelena's control had been removed by Psylocke.
However, the reason Li Chen didn't choose to bring Psylocke along was that she had been spoiled into uselessness, and he didn't want too many people knowing about Psylocke.
Some things were meant for his own private enjoyment.
Moreover, Psylocke hadn't fought in a long time, and Li Chen suspected she had grown comfortable and forgotten how to battle.
Having Psylocke, who had been living comfortably for so long, engage in this kind of task would be very dangerous.
Therefore, Li Chen used his own ability to help them.
Even while in Saint Petersburg, he still used Super Visionto check out the base's situation for her.
Natasha was delighted upon hearing this and went to open the box based on Li Chen's description.
"Bang!"
Sure enough, inside the box were many vials of red agent.
"Is this the antidote?"
Natasha quickly called Yelena over.
Yelena leaned in to look: "It really is the antidote."
She looked at her elder sister, and Natasha smiled: "Li told me."
This pleasantly surprised Yelena: "He's not even here."
Natasha shrugged: "Maybe he's omnipresent?"
Hearing the conversation between the two sisters, Li Chensmiled.
Maybe he could actually achieve that in the future?
Once his brain development reached one hundred percent, this would no longer be a dream.
But he was also a bit worried, since in the movie, Lucycouldn't withstand her brain's development in the end and directly transformed into a cosmic entity.
What if he couldn't withstand it either?
Li Chen hadn't thought about abandoning his humanity yet; he still quite liked being human.
"This is a bit like Dormammu."
Li Chen thought to himself.
Dormammu was originally a humanoid creature too, but to gain power, he turned himself into a Dimensional Demon God and became a monster.
Li Chen certainly lacked such resolve; he still wanted to remain human.
How joyful it was to be human!
Natasha and Yelena immediately took out the antidotes, chose one vial, and used it on the knocked-out Black Widows.
"Pfft!"
This was a spray medication, aimed directly at the nose.
"Phew!"
Once they finished absorbing it, they woke them up.
When they woke up, they were still somewhat vigilant, but they didn't attack right away.
"Michel."
Yelena called out the name of one of them.
Michel was a brown-haired beauty. She looked at Yelena in confusion: "Yelena? We aren't being controlled anymore?"
"We saved you."
Yelena smiled.
"Yay!"
The other Black Widows also realized what happened and immediately cheered.
"Damn Dreykov!"
Immediately after, endless hatred burst out from them.
"Do you know where he relocated?"
"I do."
Michel said coldly, "We need to hurry over. The other sisters are still being controlled."
"Of course. Who left this box of antidote?"
Natasha then remembered this matter.
How could the antidote happen to be left behind? Unless someone did it intentionally.
Natasha and Yelena exchanged a glance, both sharing the same thought.
That was their 'mom', Melina.
Their group continued to set off, except this time the jet was a bit crowded.
But fortunately, everyone squeezed inside.
The rescued Black Widows were very grateful to Yelena, while basically not speaking to Natasha at all.
Natasha didn't initiate conversation either.
Obviously, the other Black Widows secretly hated Natasha.
After all, if Natasha hadn't betrayed the Red Room, Dreykov wouldn't have come up with such a vicious method to mind-control them directly.
Natasha naturally knew this too, feeling guilty in her heart, so she didn't court trouble.
Thus, Yelena was recommended as the leader.
"Yelena, you are the strongest among us. Whatever we do next, we'll follow your command."
Michel said to Yelena.
This wasn't against her conscience; Yelena was indeed very strong and had broken Black Widow Natasha's records all along the way.
Yelena didn't stand on ceremony either and said, "Alright then, just follow orders."
As for her? Naturally, she would still listen to Natasha.
Because Natasha was more experienced than she was.
There was no helping it.
Besides, Natasha had a team.
Just like that, silence fell in the jet. What the Black Widows were most curious about were A2 and 2B. One had a body that looked very strange with several distinct stitch lines, looking as if she had self-harmed.
2B was also very strange; she directly covered her eyes with a huge blindfold—did she not need eyes at all?
While it was quiet on this side, the sky outside darkened as well.
However, they still decided to move under the cover of night, eating cold food and bread.
Meanwhile, Li Chen was drinking fine wine on his side.
The Hellfire Club members in Saint Petersburg had hardly ever met any high-level figures.
With the White King arriving now, many members came over to 'get acquainted'.
Li Chen socialized while keeping an eye on Natasha's side.
"I have to say, the Red Room's taste is really something."
Different from the movies.
When the Black Widow movie was filmed, it was at a time when a certain political correctness was all the rage.
Back then, movies had to include Black actors who also had to play important roles, along with other races.
Thus, in the Black Widow squad, you could see all kinds of skin tones, and they weren't even attractive.
But in the real Red Room, it dazzled Li Chen's eyes—almost all the Black Widows were fair-skinned, since most were Slavs after all.
Even the occasional ones with different skin tones had extremely refined facial features, truly worthy of being called Black Pearls and the like.
"All these Black Widows are absolute beauties."
Li Chen felt ideas sparking in his mind.